God Prepares a Table Before Us

A Letter from John and Gwenda Fletcher, serving in Congo

April 2018

Dear Friends,

It was December 12, 2017, the end of a busy day in the operating room at the Good Shepherd Hospital. During the last operation, I was gripped with a real sense of unease about Gwenda, who had been ill for about six weeks with profound fatigue and near fainting episodes. I tried calling her on her mobile but didn’t get any answer. I rushed home to find that late that afternoon she was suddenly overwhelmed with light-headedness and collapsed on our kitchen floor. She was found there sometime later by Mamu Nyemba, our long-time household helper. Mamu Nyemba and our yard worker, Tatu Ilunga, helped Gwenda to bed, and it was there that I found Gwenda a bit later.

What followed was a series of urgent calls with insurance company doctors, and the next day a medical evacuation flight to South Africa, where Gwenda underwent a complete medical evaluation by numerous specialists. Ultimately the recommendation was made that Gwenda should return to the US for further evaluation and possible treatment.

During the darkest and most difficult times, Gwenda found comfort and peace in repeating to herself the 23rd Psalm, a passage that is familiar to all of us. Certainly it was true for us that God did “prepare a table before us” in the midst of our difficulties. You can imagine what it is like to arrive suddenly in a new place where you have no contacts, no place to stay, but God provided for our needs in every way. Another missionary couple who had been medically evacuated to Johannesburg provided me with contacts for housing near to the hospital. Doug Tilton (regional liaison for Southern Africa) provided contacts, assistance and helpful advice and came to visit and pray with us in the hospital.

Truly God knows and understands what we are going through and is with us every step of the way — we may experience suffering, but it is as nothing when He is present with us. One of the great difficulties has been that Gwenda has always loved to read, but this illness has made it very difficult for her to do so. Even in the midst of that suffering, God has blessed us and given us joy, for I have been able to read to Gwenda, and we have both enjoyed the time together!

Gwenda was further evaluated in the US, and we still do not have a precise diagnosis. The neurologist told us that it is likely Gwenda had an (unknown) viral infection that precipitated an autoimmune reaction and the neurological problems. We are continuing with her evaluation, and Gwenda is undergoing physical, occupational and speech therapy. She is gradually improving. She has improved sufficiently that we felt it was okay for her to stay with her sister while I (John) return to the DRCongo to assist a team of engineers and technicians who have come to complete the renovation of the hydro-electric facilities at the Good Shepherd Hospital and at the Bibanga Presbyterian Hospital.

The renovation work is now underway, and God has again been faithful in His provision for visas and tickets for travel. In order to give you a sense of the context, I have included three pictures with the newsletter. The first is of a heavily loaded vehicle that I saw at one of the checkpoints. I am not sure how the decision to limit the load is made — surely one more sack will fit! The second is of the engineer (Mr. Klemens Blaschke) making adjustments to the newly installed governor (in the foreground) at the Christian Medical Institute of Kasai (IMCK) hydro. The third is the work crew at the Bibanga Hospital hydro getting ready for lunch. The main part of lunch is the bedia (also called fufu), made from corn flour and manioc flour, which you see in the foreground laid out neatly in the tray. It was prepared in the casserole between the cook’s feet.

Back in 1989 when we first were appointed as PC(USA) mission co-workers, we felt God’s call to mission service in what was then Zaire. Throughout many difficult years, we have always felt God’s call to remain in mission service in the Congo. As we approached retirement age, we anticipated continuing to serve until mid-2019. Given Gwenda’s present limitations, it is now difficult for us to see how we will be able to return to service in the DRCongo. We pray for God’s guidance and discernment of His will for us, as we expect that we will need to make a final decision in June 2018.

We know that you have been keeping Gwenda and me in your prayers and we thank you for your prayers and the outpouring of love and concern for her. We understand (and share) your frustration of not knowing precisely what illness Gwenda has and what the outcome will be. We trust that God will reveal His will to us in His time and we ask for patience and understanding as we seek to be faithful. Please continue to pray for Gwenda’s full and complete healing and for His comfort and peace to surround her while I am in the DRCongo. Please also remember to pray for the people of DR Congo as they continue to experience great instability, insecurity and difficulty with food supplies.

At this time of celebration of Christ’s resurrection and God’s Grace without which we could not be saved, we ask that you continue in supporting the mission in the DR Congo through your prayers and financial support.

Blessings in our Risen Lord,

John from DRCongo and Gwenda from the US